How to Make White Background Product Photos With Your Phone
By Tooldesk team · · 3 min read
You can make professional white background product photos with just a phone: shoot the product near a window on plain paper, then replace the background with pure white. Our Remove Background tool does the second step. Choose White as the new background, add your photos, and download JPGs ready for your shop. It runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install and no upload.
Why white backgrounds
Most marketplaces ask for, or strongly prefer, a plain white background for the main product image. Amazon, for example, requires a pure white main image. Even where it isn’t required, white keeps the focus on the product, makes a catalogue look consistent, and looks clean in search results. Always check the current image rules of the marketplace you sell on, since they change.
Step 1: Set up the shot
You don’t need a studio:
- Light: stand next to a large window with indirect daylight. Avoid direct sun, which casts hard shadows, and avoid mixing daylight with yellow room lights.
- Background: put a sheet of white paper or card on a table and curve it up against the wall behind. The curve hides the line where table meets wall.
- Reflector: a second white card on the shadow side bounces light back and softens shadows.
- Phone: wipe the lens, turn off the flash, and use the main (1×) camera. Wide lenses distort products.
Step 2: Take the photo
- Place the product in the middle of the paper, with some space around it.
- Hold the phone level with the product for a straight-on view, or slightly above for a three-quarter view.
- Tap the product to focus. If the paper looks grey, drag the exposure slider up a little.
- Take several shots, including front, back, side and a detail close-up.
- Leave space around the product. Cropping later is easy; adding missing edges isn’t.
Step 3: Make the background pure white
Even good paper photographs as light grey. To get pure white:
- Open Remove Background.
- Choose White as the new background.
- Pick Best quality if it is available on your device, otherwise Standard. Both handle any kind of object.
- Add all your product photos at once and select Remove background.
- Check the edges with the before-and-after slider, then download.
Because you shot on plain paper with good contrast, the AI has an easy job. Products that are white or transparent, such as glassware, are harder to separate from a white background. Shoot those on a mid-grey or coloured card instead, then replace it with white.
Step 4: Size and compress
Marketplaces usually want square images that are large enough for zoom. Common choices:
| Use | Suggested size |
|---|---|
| Main marketplace image | 1600–2000 px on the longest side, square |
| Your own website | 1200–1600 px, square or 4:5 |
| Social media post | 1080 × 1080 px |
| WhatsApp catalogue | 1000–1500 px |
Use Resize Image to set the size, and keep Keep aspect ratio ticked so the product doesn’t stretch. Then run the photos through Compress Image at about 80% quality. Smaller files load faster, which matters for shoppers on mobile data.
Common mistakes
- Shadows cut off unnaturally. A floating product can look odd. A soft shadow under the product is fine and looks natural; if the tool removes it, that’s normal for a cut-out.
- Colour casts. Yellow indoor light makes white products look cream. Shoot in daylight.
- Inconsistent framing. Keep the product the same size and position in every photo so your catalogue looks tidy.
- Too small. Images under 1000 px can look soft when shoppers zoom.
For more on how background removal works, and the built-in options on iPhone, Windows and Mac, read how to remove the background from a photo.
Questions people ask
What is the best background colour for product photos?
White is the standard for main images because it is neutral and matches marketplace rules. Coloured or lifestyle backgrounds work well for extra images and social media.
Do I need a lightbox?
No. A window, a sheet of white card and a reflector give similar results. A lightbox helps when you shoot many small items every day or in a room without good daylight.
How do I get pure white instead of light grey?
Replace the background with pure white using a background removal tool, or increase exposure in an editor. Background replacement is more reliable because it doesn’t overexpose the product.
Can I edit many product photos at once?
Yes. Add several photos to the background remover and they are processed one after another, then downloaded together as a ZIP.